Information Charlottesville

Week Ahead for January 27, 2020

The first month of 2020 is almost in the books and this final week of January is much quieter than in recent weeks. I only have items for the first three days. This is the lull before a very busy February begins and the arrival of budget season. 

Monday, January 27, 2020

The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners meets today as both itself and as the nonprofit entity that exists to facilitate expansion and renovation of the city’s public housing stock. The regular meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers followed by the Charlottesville Community Development Corporation. Among other things, the CRHA will get a report from the interim operations director, Kathleen Glenn-Matthews. (CRHA agenda)

The CCDC will get an update on public housing redevelopment, including the news that Virginia Supportive Housing and CRHA will take another year to plan for redevelopment of a site on Levy Avenue. VSH has withdrawn its request for city funding for this year for a project known as Crossings II. The deadline to submit an application for low-income housing tax credits is coming up in March. The project could grow to include additional units, a University of Virginia Health Clinic and a “financial opportunity center.” (update) (CCDC agenda) 

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The city’s Department of Social Services Advisory Board will meet at 12:00 p.m. in the Basement Conference Room in City Hall. The group is charged with monitoring social welfare programs in Virginia and one of its power and duties is “to interest itself in all matters pertaining to the social welfare of the people in the city.” There’s no agenda online but minutes from previous meetings as well as annual reports can be found here. 

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The two authorities that handle solid waste, sewage, and drinking water meet this afternoon for the first time in 2020. If you’re interested in recycling issues, be sure to dig into the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority agenda for the special meeting that begins at 2:00 p.m. at the Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. For instance, more than 113,400 paint cans have been dropped off at the Ivy Materials Utilization Center since August 2016. “The oil-based paints that are collected are beneficially used as fuel for heat recovery and the latex paints are re-processed back into commercial paints,” reads a report from RSWA’s director of solid waste. The document also notes that a new pilot program has begun at the McIntire Recycling Center to separately collect pizza delivery boxes. These can’t be recycled due to grease, but can be used for composting. (RSWA packet)

Immediately following the solid waste meeting is the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority. The packet for this meeting is also full of interesting facts, including that the wastewater treatment plant generates 14,000 tons of biosolids each year. These are hauled to McGill Environmental in Waverly at a cost of $456.25 per trip. Another tidbit is that the agency is spending $75,000 on emergency repairs to cover up an exposed waterline. A staff report notes that “RWSA staff discovered that a large section of bank had collapsed within McIntire Park due to recent rains and runoff, causing approximately 20 feet of RWSA’s 24 inch Urban Waterline to become exposed.”  The RWSA Board will also be asked to approve a $36 million contract for English Construction Company to perform upgrades to the Observatory and South Rivanna Water Treatment Plants. (agenda)

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A Daily Progress article from Sunday makes mention of a meeting between the City Council and the Charlottesville School Board, but this is not listed on the websites of either entity. The article states the meeting is to be held at 6:00 p.m. at the Charlottesville Albemarle Technical Education Center (CATEC). 

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The Greene Board of Supervisors meets with their county School Board beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the administration building in Stanardsville. The regular meeting will include an update from the Ruckersville Advisory Committee, a citizen group convened to oversee the small area plan drafted for one of the county’s two designated growth areas. Among the group’s recommendations are to improve signage along U.S. 29 and to seek state funding for streetscape improvements. An audit of the county’s zoning code will get underway this year to inform other aspects of the Ruckersville Area Plan. (RAC recommendations) (agenda)

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

All seven of Albemarle’s Community Advisory Committees will come together at 6:00 p.m. in Room A at the county office building on 5th Street Extended. The meeting is a chance for all of the committee members to get an update on county policy on capital planning, budgeting, transportation, and all of the other details you’d expect are ingredients for a growing county. Each CAC represents a specific designated growth area, and the meetings are the best chance to get involved with growth and development issues. There are vacancies on all of the committees and the county is seeking applications.